Quickly
by Rowan and Sakura
Summary: Keiko says something to Yusuke about Kuwabara that leads these friends to question, can friends be something more? One-shot YusukeKuwabara written from lack of sleep. You have been warned.


_Quickly_- a Yusuke/Kuwabara story

Disclaimer/Note- It's 1:30 in the morning and Rowan doesn't know what to write, just that she does. She can't get to "Serenade" but she wants to a YYH story. So she sticks five names into her pocket, pulls out two, and here she is, writing her first ever Yusuke/Kuwabara story. Obviously, if she owned YuYu Hakusho, she'd be much to busy with her job than with writing a random fanfiction at 1 in the morning. She'd probably be asleep. But luckily for you all, tonight she's not sleeping. Hence this story.

Story start!

Since when had friends become lovers? And lovers became lifetime mates so quickly and- but Yusuke was getting ahead of himself. He usually did, so early after waking. Sometimes he forgot that he was dreaming and would get carried away, even after he woke up. But not this morning, when it should have been raining. Yusuke was going to school today and that was tragic. The only place...well, yeah, he could see him during missions, but...but who ever looked forward to that? He was too busy to notice anyway. So it was tragic, that Yusuke looked forward to school this morning.

Atsuko was still asleep, crashed on a futon she had dragged into the living room ages ago, still muttering drunkenly to herself in sleep. Yusuke ignored her, but was kind enough to creep out of the house as quietly as he could without disturbing her alcohol-induced stupor. He didn't want to get a lecture or be laughed at for going to school. His face was glowing in excitement.

Keiko caught up with him on their way to school and she increased her pace to catch up with him. "Morning Yusuke!" she greeted brightly, smiling equally as brightly. If it had been raining as it should have been, the sun would have been envious and pushed the storm clouds out of her way, just to outshine Keiko. She would have failed miserably in comparison.

Yusuke hunched his shoulders together and increased his speed, embarrassed that she had caught him already and they weren't on school grounds yet. Now he would not be able to walk off if he needed to. He probably would and would end up cursing Keiko later. But at least that would be later, not now, and he didn't have any reason to take out hypothetical frustration out on her at the moment. So Yusuke smiled, if not as brightly, he smiled nonetheless. "Hello Keiko. What's up?"

"Well," she said, "You're going to school today! What's the occasion?"

Yusuke blushed lightly, and turned his head to hide that. "Oh, nothing in particular. Atsuko's been getting on my nerves lately and I haven't seen you in awhile."

She beamed at that. "Kuwabara mentioned he missed you."

Yusuke looked up a bit too suddenly. "He did?"

"Yeah. He said he doesn't feel so dumb when you're around."

Yusuke smiled and shook his head. "He's going to pay for that comment, you know."

Keiko frowned. "Oh, I don't think he meant it mean-spirited. He was smiling wistfully when he said that."

Yusuke sighed. "I guess. What about you Keiko? Miss me?"

Keiko laughed softly. "Yeah. I'm not so stressed when you're not around. You make things...exciting around here."

"Thanks, Keiko!" Yusuke laughed back. "Now if you need therapy fifteen years from now, I'll know I'm to blame."

Keiko's face grew solemn and she stopped walking for brief, chilling moment in which she muttered darkly. "Don't die on us, Yusuke. I don't think we could take it again."

"'We'?" Yusuke asked, puzzled. But Keiko didn't answer.

* * *

So school was over and Yusuke was still there. He had to stay; he had asked Kuwabara to stay after to talk. They saw each other briefly in the hall, Yusuke's dream came rushing back, and he shouted out quickly before he lost himself for Kuwabara to meet him by the school gates three minutes after everyone had left. Yusuke was impatient though, and arrived at the gates five minutes before anyone had left. The students crept off campus in a somber mood.

Kuwabara was two minutes late and Yusuke was starting to get irritable. "Sorry I'm late Urameshi," the orange-haired oaf said as he ran up to his classmate. "What was it you wanted to speak to me about?"

Yusuke's arms were crossed and he wore a slight scowl on his face. "Keiko said I make you feel smart, or something like that. Now, mind explaining?"

Kuwabara's face fell and his brow darkened. "When you're around I don't feel so dumb. That's what I said." He shrugged. "I don't understand what there is to explain."

"Well, why only me? Tell me, Kuwabara," Yusuke demanded softly.

Kuwabara sighed and leaned against the school gate. His face looked weary and haggard. Yusuke wondered how much sleep Kazuma got each week. And then he paused, froze. Kazuma. It worked, somehow. Kazuma.

"The shrimp always looks down on me even when he's looking up and Kurama's just naturally so brilliant. And it has nothing to do with grades." Kazuma breathed heavily. "You treat me like equal, Yusuke. You treat me like I'm smart. You and I understand the same world- we both know street fighting and we know it well. And even though you clobber me every time- I'm going to beat you one day- you still know I'm second best at Sara. We...understand, you understand."

Yusuke was quiet for a moment as he mulled over Kazuma's words, when it hit him. "Kuwabara, did you just call me Yusuke?"

Kazuma gasped at his slip of the tongue, then glowered and hissed, "So? I'm not allowed to call you by your first name?"

Yusuke didn't respond; he liked Kazuma calling him Yusuke but he wasn't going to say that. No matter how much he would have liked to utter "Kazuma" out loud.

There was silence of an awkward kind and Yusuke suddenly realized that he wasn't smoking. He usually would; this was new.

Suddenly, Kazuma pushed off the wall and started to head back towards the school; he wasn't carrying any of his books. Yusuke reached out with his hand and stopped him for a moment. "Kuwabara, is it possible for friends not to be friends anymore?"

"Wha- what do you mean, Urameshi?" There was a harsh emphasis on his last name.

"Can friends become more? Is that possible?"

Kazuma blinked dully for a moment, then his eyes lit up with understanding. "You tell me."

Yusuke wasn't good with words, so he dragged Kazuma down to his level and let his lips hover under the other's mouth. "Kazuma," he whispered, before lifting his mouth up towards his classmate, team member, friend, and soon-to-be swooning first kiss. His lips were slightly chapped, but Kazuma's were soft and they moved gently against Yusuke's mouth. Neither were eager to breathe for an eternity, but they both wanted to live for a thousand more kisses, so they soon parted. Kazuma smiled at Yusuke.

"Okay?"

Yusuke nodded. "Yeah."

"Yusuke."

"Kazuma."

He smiled. "Don't think this means you're off the hook. I'm still going to beat you one day."

Yeah, he knew that and one day Yusuke decided he might even let Kazuma win. But things were different, and maybe Kazuma would win as a lover ora lifetime mate. It seemed to come so quickly, the transitions. But Yusuke knew life was short. Things have to move quickly. He could take it.

**End**

Weird story...written in a little over an hour too! I doubt the characters are in-character, but whatever. That was weird. Please review!- Rowan


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